Soundboard
by Edengwen
Summary: The conversation between Garrett and Frank during Secret Arrangements (04x19) about the DA's investigation into NYPD detectives.


**Soundboard**

He needed to voice what was going on in his mind, and he knew that there was only one person who had he knew he could talk to without anything getting out. Frank headed for Garrett's office and quickly checked that he wasn't interrupted something and noticed that his friends was sat facing his computer with a pizza slice in his hand.

He maybe interrupting his lunch but he needed to voice the thoughts that were swimming around his head. Not speaking a word, he entered the office without a word. He might care for the man, but he had no order. Garett's office was a mess. But that was how he dealt with the chaos of his job.

In front of him, he noticed a large pizza sat on one of the two chairs that he knew sat in front of Garrett's desk. Quickly and quietly he picked up the box and looked around to see where he could put it. At this motion, Garrett turned to see Frank stood there with his lukewarm pizza box in hand.

"Here, let me put that…" But before he could finish the sentence, Frank was interrupted him.

"I'll just file this…" Frank started looking at the boxes of paperwork, and then saw a space in the chaos, "...over here." Frank just placed the box down on the chair to which a box sat. At least he could sit down.

Garrett watched as Frank placed the box down but knew that his boss hadn't travelled down to the 14th floor to move his pizza box. Quickly he pulled off the napkin that he had placed over his white shirt increase he made a mess and started to clean his hand. The two sat in silence for a minute because Garrett dropped the napkin on his desk before speaking.

"Anything new from the DA's office?" He asked. Frank had given him what his source had told him, that the DA was investigating NYPD detectives because they were good at doing their jobs. And more worrying was that Danny was on that list, it hit close to home.

"No." Frank sighed and looked away. He had hoped that he would have been given more information about how far the investigating was. And if they were looking closely at even one of his detectives, however, he was more worried that his eldest was one of them.

"Did your source give you any sense of how far along the investigation has progressed?" Garrett asked, and not just for his job. He needed to know before the papers did, just in case he needed to put out a no comment response. But also Danny had become like family to him and Frank more of a friend than a boss, which sometimes came out when things were annoying him.

Frank looked around the room and sighed, rubbing his hands together before allowing them to fall on his lap. "The word "preliminary" was used." But he guessed that it had gone a little further than that, but still, he nodded his head at his own words.

Garrett shifted his weight in his chair before leaning back into his chair, he had to think this through carefully and help his boss do the same. He knew how much this investigation was weighing on Frank. It was hitting too close to home. His home.

"Shift your weight. What if Danny wasn't on the list?" Garrett asked, voicing an idea that had come to mind. It was a valid point, would they be having this conversation if Danny wasn't on the DA's list? On the other hand, he understood why Frank was so nervous. Out of all of Frank's children, he kept a very close eye on what Danny was up to the most. Just in case anything happened that might backfire onto Frank.

"I would do everything in my power to protect a detective who was under the microscope for being good at his job," Frank said voicing what he knew was true. He would protect his men and women at all cost. And more so if they were being investigated because they were doing their job the right way and getting results.

Garnett stopped for a moment to and thought about something that had played on his mind the moment Frank had told him that the DA had gone around the PC and started to look at some of their best detectives. Why would Frank be so worried if he knew that Danny never crossed the line? They both knew that sometimes Danny did things without thinking but then again he always did what he thought was best for his case. And there was that time when he did stick a man's head down the toilet but he did save a little girl and help close a cold case.

Garrett looked directly at Frank and asked something that was playing on his mind. "Do you think Detective Reagan steps over the line?"

It was a question Frank knew was coming. He signed and looked down, thinking everything over. Danny was a good cop, he knew that but at the same time, he knew very little about what his eldest was getting up too over than what he read in his reports and what he heard from his chiefs.

"I think he probably steps on the line…" Frank looked directly at Garrett as he spoke but then looked back down and through a little more. "...but more importantly…" Frank started and looked at Garrett again. "...what I do know is what I don't know…" Frank hated this, more so than everything else he had to face. He used his hand again before placing his hand back on his knee. "...namely, every move he makes."

Garrett looked away thinking more about what had Frank had said, it worried him. The DA might not see Danny's actions as stepping over the line but maybe crossing the line.

"And you have to wonder how the DA's office is going to define that line." Garrett voiced his option. It was a worrying thought.

"It is clearly defined as constitutional law," Frank said, knowing that the law was very clear, and he knew that he had made sure that all his children knew that. Frank looked away and at the floor. He hated feeling like this, having to question one of his own children but he had too.

"I hope Danny's familiar with them," Garrett said, only just voicing his option again not really wanting an answer.

Frank looked directly at Garrett again before answering. "I made sure of that."

Before sighing and looked away again. "But he takes the job personally."

It was Danny's weak spot, Danny cared too much. And for that reason, he knew that sometimes Danny let his emotion rule his head. Which sometimes caused him to come very close to the line when a case got too much. However bad that may sound, he knew from personal experience, that it was one of the key skills that made Danny a good detective and a good cop.

"Didn't you Frank?" Garrett asked knowing that Frank had also taken the job personally.

Frank looked at Garrett and pulled his hands together.

"I did," Frank said and then sighed looking away from Garrett before adding a trait that he knew was the main problem for Danny. "But Danny is quick to the temper."

Frank looked up at Garrett and then spoke again, "He came out that way." Lifting his hand again before placing it back on his knee. Danny had always had a temper, ever since he was born. And that had always been the problem in their relationship. They both had the hot Irish temper but with Danny, he used it to deal with his problems and help him on his cases.

"Colicky baby, hyperactive kid, rebellious teenager, gung ho marine…" Frank started to list. Danny had always been the child that had caused him the most headache.

"...Great Cop." Garrett added to the end when he didn't hear Frank say it.

Danny was a hell of a cop, they all knew that. And the number of cases that he closed showed the proof of that.

"No argument here," Frank answered, knowing that it was one of the things that made him proud of his son. He was proud of his son, and he knew that he didn't say often enough and more so to his son. He just hoped that he knew it.

Garrett leant forward and looked at Frank, "I don't know what to tell you…" Garrett started, he knew what he wanted to say but he didn't know how Frank would take his advice. Because he didn't think he was the right person for Frank to be talking too. As he stopped speaking he picked up his glasses that had been on his desk.

But before he could finish Frank interrupted him, "I need a sounding board, Garrett. I'm not looking for advice."

Garrett just looked at Frank before speaking again. "I'm gonna give you some anyway."

Garrett knew that Frank didn't like getting advice regarding his children, but he needed to hear what he had to say.

Frank pulled a face, he didn't want to hear about how he had to deal with his children but at the same time, he needed some advice on how to deal with this problem.

"All right," Frank said waiting for Garrett to speak.

Garrett looked dead right into Frank's eyes and spoke, "It occurs to me that you should be having this off-the-record meeting with your son."

Frank sighed and turned his head to look out of the window. He knew that he should be telling Danny about the investigation but at the same time, he knew that he couldn't. Danny would fly off the deep end if he ever found out that the DA was looking at him. He needed to protect his son if he could. Even if it meant he had to investigate his own son. He needed to know what his son could be facing. It was the only thing he could do.

He needed to protect his family, and more so his sons.

Even if it hurt them.


End file.
